In The End
by Abnormal Girl
Summary: Sometimes you need someone to help you stand up before you can walk on two feet again. The dream Sakura has after Syaoran leaves. R&R.
1. Prelude

Prelude

"_Please, don't go," Sakura begged as she prostrated herself desperately before Syaoran. An impossible amount of tears stained her pastel cheeks, and continued to fall in an endless downpour._

_Syaoran looked briefly at Sakura with an impassive gaze. His hand abruptly shook away hers before continuing to walk mindlessly towards the dimensional rip that appeared in front of him. Sakura frantically grabbed at the air, as if hoping Syaoran's hand would return to hers, even if for just a second. Her vision began to blur as the feather took over her body- sending her into a slumber. The numbness snaked through her limbs and dragged her body lower to the ground. She even felt the pace of her breath begin to slow down. Sakura fought that power with all of the will she could possibly muster._

"_Syaoran-kun…" she gasped his name once more, pleading that he would listen. Syaoran never turned back. He continued to step through the portal without even a second glance. "No…" Sakura whispered almost inaudibly as Syaoran let himself be engulfed into nothing. That was when she knew it was already over._

_That was when she let herself fall into reminiscence. The vision that Sakura saw through the feather was painful. It told her things about her past that she didn't want to believe were true. She prayed and she prayed for it to end. When it finally did, Sakura did not wake up. She would have much preferred to disappear inside of her dream._


	2. The Dream

In The End…

Sakura silently wept in the stillness of her dream. She was lying in a sorrowful heap on the ground, allowing the tears to fall freely down her cheeks. She held her arms around her shaking body, as if it were the only thing that kept her in one piece. There was nothing but an endless pitch black landscape in this dream. The world around her was quiet and empty, as if she feared any disturbance might cause her to fall apart. Everything had become so fragile so fast, because Syaoran wouldn't be there to protect her anymore. He wouldn't be there to catch her when she fell, to find her when she was lost, or to hold her when she cried. So she held herself when she cried, this time- completely alone.

Sakura didn't mind this forlorn world, it was much better than the reality that awaited her when she woke. She preferred the sloping hills of black, and the deep murky rivers that roared soundlessly in the distance. She favored the infinite dark sky that held no moon or stars and the shady trees that towered over her menacingly. All the images seemed to fade in and out of nothingness as you stared at them, as if none of it was actually there.

Sakura was afraid of what happened next. She wished that she could surrender to the darkness of her dream, and let herself fade away into the black. No one was there to save her from herself anymore.

But then, Sakura saw something in the corner of her eye. It wasn't the same dark color of everything around her. It was a mix of colors, as if someone else was there. Startled, she pulled herself onto her knees and glanced at her surroundings. One of the ashen trees had grown light pink cherry blossoms on its elegant limbs. It was the only beauty among the grim. Like a sign of hope. Yet Sakura did not know why such a thing would be there.

Then, she noticed that someone was behind this tree.

"Who's there?" Sakura asked to the darkness.

"You," a familiar voice replied. At least, Sakura thought it was familiar. She felt as if she knew that voice her entire life, yet she had never heard it before.

Then, the young woman stepped into view. Sakura gasped at what she saw. It was herself, yet older and more mature. She wore the same dress that Sakura wore whenever she was in a dream. It was made of white cloth that made a long skirt which trailed behind her legs and had gold embroidery that touched her shoulders and chest.

The other Sakura had grown her hair out to resemble her mother's- Nadeshiko's hair. It was long, wavy, and danced around her back. The only thing that had not changed about her was her dazzling jade eyes.

"Are you alright?" the other Sakura asked.

Sakura shook her head, and then frowned. "Are you me from another dimension? What are you doing here inside of my dream?"

The other Sakura gave a small smile, "I'm here to help you. It looks like you need it. Now, tell me, what's wrong?"

Sakura looked at the ground beneath her. Everything was wrong. Nothing was right. Syaoran was gone, and she had become incomplete. That was why she was in so much despair.

"It's so very hard to explain…" her voice choked. For some reason, she wanted nothing more than to speak her heart out before she fell apart. It would do nothing to heal these wounds that had been freshly cut into her heart, but it was better than being alone in this pain.

"You can tell me. We have all of the time in the world," the other Sakura reassured her. She walked over to her and sat down. Sakura laid her head on her other self's shoulder and allowed the other Sakura to stroke her hair. Sakura allowed her tears to flow once again as she spoke of her melancholy.

Sakura told her everything. She told her how she discovered only recently that she was only a clone, and did not truly belong in any world. She told her how unfair it was to lose the one she loved the most only moments after she realized how she felt about him. She told her how hopeless she had become when she finally knew all of these things, and now she wanted nothing more than to disappear rather than live in the inconvenient world she was presented with.

When Sakura was finished, she cried as hard as she could. She let out every bit of sorrow in her tears and sobs as the other Sakura held her in her arms. The other Sakura said nothing for a while. But when Sakura seemed to run out of tears, she finally spoke.

"Do you really want to disappear? Is that really your only option?" she whispered.

Sakura wondered why she was asked this question. Did it really matter? Why would she want to do anything else? There was nothing more for her to hope for. How can you wish for something when everything is gone?

"Syaoran-kun is never coming back," Sakura stated. It was a matter of fact. There was no heart left in him. Even if she thought he truly cared for her- that was all the feelings of another person. _"That didn't come from my heart, it came from you!"_ Sakura remembered what the other Syaoran had said. _What did he mean by that?_ Sakura couldn't help but wonder. It didn't matter, though. Syaoran had showed her how little he cared only moments ago. There were no feelings in his eyes, and the eyes _never_ lie.

The other Sakura shook her head and whispered, "That's where you're wrong."

"How?" she asked. Sakura did not understand.

The other Sakura placed her hands on Sakura's shoulders, and pulled her off of her own shoulder. Now they were staring eye to eye. The other Sakura placed her hands in Sakura's hands and squeezed them. That was when Sakura noticed the gold ring that was adorned her other self's finger. She let out a gasp, and could feel her tears brimming for an entirely different reason this time.

"Syaoran_ always_ comes back," the other Sakura said.

"Is that…?" Sakura choked on her words before they could come out. This couldn't be true. This couldn't be true. Surely she was only imagining what she was seeing and hearing at this very moment.

"Listen," the other Sakura began, placing a tender hand on Sakura's cheek. "In every world, you and Syaoran fall in love. It takes you a while to realize it, but when you do, you try to tell him how you feel. But then, he leaves you for a reason that he alone cannot change. You may be lonely now, but in the end, Syaoran _always_ comes back."

Sakura was bawling now, unable to take in the words she was hearing.

"But how do you know if it's the same with me and my Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked. She was a clone who was not meant to exist. Could fate affect them in the same way when they weren't even supposed to live in the first place?

"Do you love Syaoran?" the other Sakura asked her. Her eyes never looked away.

"Yes," Sakura responded without hesitation. There was no denying her love for Syaoran.

"Did he leave you?"

Sakura broke her gaze with the other Sakura. With a heavy heart, she replied.

"…Yes."

The other Sakura turned Sakura's face so that they were looking eye to eye once again.

"Then there is still a chance," the other Sakura smiled. "Your fate might be the same. You can find him, and find his lost heart- his _true_ heart. How could he not have one if he cares about you more than anyone else?"

Sakura had to laugh at herself. It was a dark, yet blissful laugh. How could she have doubted that Syaoran had a heart? It may have been gone, but that didn't mean it didn't exist. Perhaps it was lost when the other Syaoran returned his own heart. Or maybe it's still there, just hiding somewhere in the depth's of Syaoran's soul.

One by one, the black trees around them bloomed with flowers. The world inside the dream was still mostly black, but it was no longer entirely absent of color. Now there was hope to lighten the gloom. Sakura was ready to wake up.

"Thank you," she said to herself.

"You're welcome, and remember…" the other Sakura then leaned forward so she was speaking into Sakura's ear.

"Everything will be alright."

Those words stayed would stay with Sakura for the rest of her life. They gave her hope, and would carve any path that she would choose. Now, she chose to find Syaoran and return his heart. No matter what she had to do, that was what she wanted most in the world. She would do anything to save Syaoran, just as he had always saved her.

* * *

Author's Note: Originally, the "other Sakura" was supposed to be CCS!Sakura. But because of recent chapters and plot-twists and stuff that had not come out yet when I came up with the idea for this… now it's just some random Sakura from some random dimension. Maybe. Because of this uncertainty, I am _not_ considering this a crossover-fic. Yet.


End file.
